Never Thought It Would Be You
by vanillaXtwilight
Summary: Missing moments from Jackson and April's friendship during season 8. The sequel to You Don't Have To Be Alone.
1. Free Falling & She's Gone

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, etc.**

I rap my knuckles twice against April's bedroom door, leaning against the wall as I wait for her to answer. I hear her mattress creak and her feet padding across the hard wood floor before the door flies open. She glances in the other direction before inhaling sharply and jumping backwards when she catches sight of me.

"Jackson," she breathes, pressing her hand to her chest as she catches her breath. "You scared me."

"Sorry," I offer, holding up the plastic grocery bag in an attempt to regain her attention. "I brought you something." I tell her. She eyes me suspiciously, hoping that I'll reveal more but I simply smirk and ask, "Can I come in?"

She moves aside, allowing me access which I graciously accept by stepping inside her unusually messy room. As I take in the mismatched stacks of clothes in the corner and the medical journals and books that litter the floor, I shoot her a look of bewilderment. _This_ is not the side of April Kepner I am used to.

Closing the door behind her, she catches my look of surprise, and announces shyly, "I'm in the process of rearranging things." A soft blush creeps over her face and she tucks a stray piece of auburn hair behind her ear before she makes her way across the room and falls back on to the bed.

"What's in the bag?" she asks.

All thoughts of the mess that surrounds me disappear as I remember the real reason I stopped by. Closing the gap between us, I walk across the room and fall beside her on the mattress. Our shoulders brush against one another as I reach in to the bag and I have to mentally ignore the way my arm hairs stick up at the contact. Shoving these thoughts to the back of my mind, I victoriously pull out a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream.

I hear April take an excited intake of breath at the sight of her favorite dessert and I can't help but grin. I pull out a spoon from inside the bag and hand both the ice cream and the utensil over to her.

"I thought it would make a good peace offering." I mutter, scratching behind my ear. It wasn't often that the two of us fought so I never really knew what the protocol to handling things afterwards was. Usually, an unspoken apology would occur and we'd continue on with our daily lives. But today's fight was different. It had been a big day for April and I couldn't see past my own annoyance to notice that April had really been struggling today. Letting April down always left me feeling like crap.

"It also works as a "Good job on your first day as Chief Resident" gift too." I inform her, my voice trailing off as I watch her dig into the ice cream.

She laughs bitterly and shakes her head. Before speaking again, she stops to push herself backwards on the bed so that she is supported by the head rest and without thinking I move to join her. She doesn't seem to mind though so I stay where I am.

"There's not much to celebrate," she finally says, swallowing her next bite of ice cream. "I sucked."

"You did fine, April." I tell her. And she had. Back in that OR this afternoon, she had been great. It might have taken us some time to pull ourselves together and get started, but once we did April and I had everything under control. We really make a great team, April and I. We always had.

"I shouldn't even be Chief Resident," she murmurs miserably before scooping out another large bite of ice cream and shoving it her mouth. "It should be you."

"April," I sigh, rubbing roughly at my closed eyelids. I had told April earlier that I wasn't jealous of her because she was Chief Resident, and it was true. Ever since dropping Webber's trial, I had decided the job really wasn't for me.

Yeah, sure, I had been deemed the Gunther, the definition of which I still wasn't quite clear on. But everyone kept treating it like it was this big thing. I am a surgeon. I was just doing my job. Just because I didn't kill my patient doesn't mean that I would have been the right person to be Chief Resident. Glancing over at April, despite the fact that she is practically face deep in ice cream right now, I can still tell that Dr. Hunt made a good decision.

"No!" she argues through a mouth full of the banana flavored treat. "It's true. It was supposed to go to Karev. Did you know that?" she asks me and I raise my eyebrows in surprise, shaking my head from side to side. Her whole body sags as she lets out a defeated sigh. She keeps her eyes downcast as she picks at her ice cream and reveals, "I heard him complaining about it at Joe's one night. Hunt told him that he was going to originally be chosen but then he threw Meredith under the bus so they both missed out."

I stare at her wide eyed and remain silent. "I didn't know that," is all I can manage to sputter out. She shrugs her shoulders weakly and replies, "I wasn't all that surprised. Chief Resident is supposed to go to someone people will actually listen to…not someone like…well, me."

"Look, April," I breathe out. "Maybe it wasn't supposed to be you at first, but it is you now." She bites her bottom lip skeptically but I ignore it and continue on by saying, "Hunt clearly saw something in you that you just don't see in yourself quite yet. Just give it some time and I'm sure you'll find it."

"And as far as your first day sucking goes, did you forget that we saved a woman's life today? We did that! Me and you!" I say, nudging her shoulder, successfully eliciting a smile from the red head for the first time that night. "Shouldn't that count for something?"

She nods in agreement and even admits, "We were pretty awesome in that OR today."

"Oh, we kicked some serious ass!" I cheer, holding up my hand for a high five. April giggles and has to position her ice cream between her legs before she hits her hand with my own. I squirm uncomfortably at the fluttering sensation I feel in my stomach at the sound of April's childish laugh. What the hell is wrong with me?

Suddenly feeling way too close to my best friend, I roll out of the bed and tell her that I'm heading back to my room when her voice calls out to me. "Jackson?" she asks, my hand reaching for the door knob.

"Yeah?"

"I am sorry," she breathes out."About today…about everything. I just…I put too much pressure on you and that wasn't right and…"

"It's alright, April." I promise, offering a soft smile.

She shakes her head and says, "It's really not. But thanks for saying that."

I tilt my head to the side and stare at April as a small smiles graces her features. I allow my hand to fall from the door knob as I cross the room, making my way back over to the red head still resting on her bed. As I lower myself on to the edge of the mattress again, she sits up straight and confesses, "I think I only did it because you're the only one I can really trust here."

"Are you sure it's not because I'm the only one who will listen to you?" I smirk at her, even as I receive a smack on the arm with the back of her hand.

"Very funny," she glares, falling back against the head rest.

I chuckle lowly as I push myself in to a standing position. I am poised to leave when I feel an overwhelming need to touch her one last time before heading off to bed. Before my mind can tell my body otherwise, I am leaning forward and pressing my lips to her temple. "It's okay," I whisper against her skin, and reel backwards to look at her as I say, "And for the record: I trust you, too."

I walk away and check over my shoulder as I open the door to leave. I find April still smiling at me warmly and I can't help but mirror her tender grin. "Goodnight, Jackson."

"Goodnight, April," I mutter, stepping in to the hallway and closing the door completely behind me.

I look around in all directions and it is only when I know the coast is clear that I lift my arm up closer to my face for an examination. As my eyes rove over the dark skin I shake my head in disbelief. Why in the hell do I have _goose bumps_? I am not fifteen years old. I have been in girl's bedrooms before. I should not be having this reaction. Besides, this is April Kepner were talking about here.

I shake my head at the thought and cross the remainder of the hallway. "It must have just been…too cold in there, or something." I decide, once in the safety of my own room. "Yeah," I scoff to myself, running my fingers over the still bumpy skin. "Or something."

_A/N: Well, hello again, everyone! As you all can see, I have decided to make a sequel for each season of moments. I guess I decided to do it this way because, as many of you pointed out in your reviews, the Jackson and April relationship starts to shift a bit from here on out. That's kind of what I tried to show here in this first chapter. But since these two crazy kids don't get together until season's end, most of these will still be just friendship moments but there will be hints spread throughout of their underlying feelings, don't worry. The plan is the same as last time, most of these will be around drabble length and I will try and update as frequently as possibly. That's about it! I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter and I can't wait to hear what you think! Thanks for reading and please review!_


	2. Take the Lead

Growing up, my mother always told my sisters and me to always keep an open mind, because people might just surprise you. As I watch Alex Karev go to talk to Sam Kenton's son, those same words echo through my head. Jason collapses on to one of the seats below him and begins to openly sob in to his hands while Alex reaches forward to rest his hand sympathetically on the younger man's shoulder. Through the small window of the door separating us, I can't help but closely observe the way Alex's head hangs low as he soundlessly mutters an apology and explanations for things even we doctors can't always understand.

I swallow thickly, feeling tears start to pool behind my eyes and turn away swiftly on the sole of my shoe, suddenly feeling as though I am intruding on a private moment. Unsure of where to go from here, I head back to my new office. I surreptitiously wipe at my eyes with the sleeve of my long sleeved gown as I walk through the halls of the hospital I had grown to love over the past few years. Loving Seattle Grace Mercy West was another example of life taking you by surprise.

When I reach the door of my office, I let out a quite sigh of relief before shuffling in to the spacious room. I fall into my leather desk chair, deciding to occupy my mind with the surprising stacks of paper work that come along with the job.

I don't notice him at first, but when I hear a muffled groan my head rockets up to find Jackson Avery snuggling deeper into a throw pillow as he naps peacefully on my brand new couch. At the unexpected sight, I let out a high pitched yelp and fall backwards in my chair. I quickly place both hands over my mouth to hold in the scream, not wanting to wake him, but I can already tell it is too late by the way Jackson's eye immediately spring open.

"I'm awake…I'm awake," he claims, quickly sitting up and rubbing both hands over his face to rid himself of any leftover sleepiness. He looks around the room in alarm until his eyes land on me, staring at him with a wide-eyed expression from across the room. His features relax when he realizes that it was just my voice and not the sound of a pager that woke him up.

"What are you doing here?!" I breathe out, dropping my hands from mouth. Jackson stretches out his arms above his head, simply shrugging in reply once they have been lowered.

"I didn't think you'd mind," he argues, rubbing at his eyes. "Besides, I thought you were supposed to be scrubbing in on that knee replacement now, anyway," he observes, glancing up at the clock on the wall behind him.

I let out a little huff and shake my head. "I couldn't find anyone to assist on Karev's bowel resection so I had to do it instead."

Jackson nods, "How'd it go?"

"Aren't you supposed to be in surgery?" I ask quickly, intentionally ignoring his question. I didn't need him gloating about the fact that Karev was, more likely than not, going to have to lead the skills labs for the next month. Not after what I had just witnessed Jason Kenton's break down in the waiting room.

Jackson's jaw muscles tighten as he turns his head away from me and averts his eyes. He coughs and rubs the back of his neck as he admits, "I didn't…uh, I didn't do the surgery."

I tilt forward in my chair again and wrinkle my forehead in confusion. Noticing my look of perplexity, he quickly jumps to his feet and points at me, saying sternly, "This stays between me and you."

I nod mutely and snap my jaw shut, waiting patiently for him to continue speaking as he begins to pace the room. "I was all set to do a straight line repair and then Robbins told me that she preferred a Millard rotation. So I showed her I could do that, too."

"So, what was the problem?" I question slowly.

"She still didn't trust me enough to do it! We were in the OR about to start when Robbins started talking about how much pressure this was and how by doing this I would basically be shaping this kid's entire future," he explains. Bristling, he adds, "Let's just say that didn't give me a whole lot of confidence." Dejectedly, he falls back on to the couch.

Seeing Jackson so defeated throws me for such a loop that before I know what I'm doing, I'm on my feet and crossing the room to join him on the couch. Feeling the couch shift below him, Jackson bows his head and closes his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh before confessing, "I just…got nervous."

Jackson's hands rest comfortably on his knees and I bite my lip before tentatively reaching forward and placing my hand over his, interlocking our fingers. "I think it's…really sweet that you put the patient before yourself."

Jackson's eyes open in surprise at the feel of my hand on his. Swallowing, he replies, "You think?"

"Yeah…I do." I tell him sincerely, squeezing his hand. He lifts a corner of his mouth and nods. He continues to watch me closely for quite some time, clearing his throat and rolling his shoulders back before leaning closer to me.

For a moment, actually, more like a second, I think he might kiss me. But…that would be crazy. Why would Jackson Avery want to kiss _me_? He has a girlfriend…a pretty serious one, at that. And even if he didn't…it just…it wouldn't make any sense. We're friends. That's all we would ever be.

Despite knowing all of this, my breath hitches as he moves closer. Instead, he stops short and squints his eyes, before saying, "You've been crying."

"Wh-what?" I stutter.

"I can see the tear streaks," he observes, running his thumb across my cheek and smiling weakly at me as his hand falls away.

"Um…yeah," I manage, inwardly rolling my eyes at the way my voice shakes as I place my hand over the cheek he had just touched. "I guess I was."

Knowingly, he questions, "What happened in your surgery, April?"

I take a deep breath and release it through my nose, searching his eyes for any indication that he might only be asking for personal gain. It didn't seem like something he would do but, then again, this was a contest to him. And Jackson had always been competitive.

Deciding that Jackson's concern is real, I finally disclose, "The patient went in to septic shock."

Jackson takes in a breath to respond when the sound of my office door opening causes us both to jump. We both turn our heads to find Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang standing in the door frame, watching us.

Meredith keeps her narrowed eyes on Jackson, silently wondering if she had walked in on something worth telling Lexie about it. Cristina, on the other hand, marches in the room without hesitation.

"What is going on here?" she asks, wearing a smile that could only compare to the Cheshire Cat. "I didn't think Virgin Mary was your type, Pretty Boy."

Noticing that our hands are still intertwined, we quickly untangle them and move to opposite ends of the couch. My cheeks flush in embarrassment while Jackson clears his throat once again and snaps back, "Bite me, Yang. I have a girlfriend, remember?"

"Oh, _I_ remember," she retorts, "I was just making sure you still knew." He glowers at her as she rounds the coffee table and drops down in the open space between Jackson and me. Jackson rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to respond when Meredith fully steps into the room and cuts him off. "Cristina," she scolds, "Leave them alone."

"Eh, you're right," the cardiothoracic surgeon decides. Laughing, she adds, "Like Kepner and Avery would ever be a _thing_."

Making sure not to glance at Jackson over her shoulder, I turn to Cristina and seethe, "You know we're still here right?"

"Yeah, I just don't care," she says, shrugging her shoulders.

"Get out of my office!" I screech out, pointing towards the door. She scoffs and rolls her eyes in Meredith's direction, who is trying to hold back a smile herself.

"Relax, Kepner," she instructs, settling further back in the couch and resting both of her hands behind her head. Jackson looks at her pointedly as one of her elbows sticks out and bops him in the face. When she closes her eyes in contentment, Jackson growls before shoving her arm away lightly and standing up from the couch, instead taking up residence in the chair across from where he previously sat.

Knowing that Meredith probably wants to sit by the other Twisted Sister, I, too, push myself off the sofa and leave room for the blonde surgeon. She smiles appreciatively as we cross paths and I make my way back over to my desk.

Suddenly, I remember the celebratory bottle of scotch Dr. Hunt had bought me a few days after it had been announced that I was Chief Resident. I had stored it in the bottom drawer of my desk with a couple of the plastic cups we give out to patients with their meals. I check to make sure their still there and am pleased to find that they had not been moved.

When I return to the circle carrying the unopened bottle of alcohol and plastic cups, Cristina perks up immediately. "Now that's what I'm talking about Kepner!" she exclaims, clapping her hands together once excitedly. "Keeping boozes in your office? Maybe Owen was right to make you Chief Resident after all," she adds thoughtfully.

My heart swells at her words but I remind myself that I have to keep a calm demeanor. I simply nod in return, as though I believe it too, and take my seat on the carpeted floor. She reaches across the coffee table to take a hold of the bottle but I keep it close to my chest and shake my head.

I glance over at Jackson as I work on opening the bottle, only to find him already looking at me with a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "What?" I ask, trying to keep my own smile off my face.

He shakes his head, "I'm just impressed is all."

I am unable to hold back my smile any longer as I begin to pour the scotch into the plastic cup. My mother's words resound once again in my head when I look up to meet Jackson's stare once again. I bring my cup to my lips and, before taking a sip, tell him, "Keep an open mind, Avery. People can surprise."

_A/N: I'm so happy that you all are still interested in reading these! Your response was awesome last chapter! I am so incredibly humbled! Oh! And same rules apply as last time, meaning if any of you have a particular idea that you would like to suggest feel free! I'd love to hear them! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this latest installment. Thanks for reading and please review! :)_


	3. What Is It About Men

Growing up in the city, I never really saw the stars as a kid. It wasn't until my mom's boyfriend, Dale, took us on, what he called, a _real_ family camping trip when I was about 10 years old that I ever even saw a star covered sky. It had been perfect. Since then, there had been very few moments in my life where I had seen the sky the way I had that night. This was one of those nights. At least, it would have been if I could get it to stop spinning.

No longer able to take the moving sky above me, I squeeze my eyes shut and push myself up, resting all my weight on the palm of my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the other remaining men who line Derek's recently finished deck. All of them look just as out of it as I am and I can't help but note the scattered beer cans and bottles that litter the property.

All of us were in way too deep to drive, a problem none of us had thought we would have to face when the night began. But, here we were.

"We can't sleep out here," I declare practically.

"Why not?" Derek mumbles sleepily. "I did it."

The city boy in me silently groans in agony at the thought but, instead, I simply shake my head. I force myself to stand, trying to ignore how unsteady the ground feels beneath my feet, and inch away from the group as I pull my cell phone from my pocket. Clumsily, I press buttons until I find the name I am searching for. I press the phone to my ear and wait one…two…three rings before she answers.

"Hello?" April inquires, her voice ringing in panic. Being a doctor, we both knew better than anyone that calls this late at night almost never mean good news.

"April? Hey, it's Jackson," I answer, for a moment, snapping out of my drunken haze, if only to calm her down. Before she can ask, I quickly add, "Everything is okay. Everybody's fine." Over the receiver I can hear her let out a sharp sigh of relief.

"It's almost two o'clock in the morning, Jackson," she states, a hint of annoyance in her voice now that she is aware that nobody is dying. "What's up?"

I sigh, glancing over my shoulder at the three remaining guys, before revealing to her our low state of…competence at the moment. She lets out a huff but, despite this, I can hear the sound of movement on the other end.

"Where are you?" she asks.

"Shepherd's Barbie dream house," I snort, biting back a smile as I glance over at the other surgeons once again. I take a few steps further away, sticks and leaves crunching beneath my feet as I go.

"Who else is there?"

"Hunt, Karev, and Shepherd," I reply. Mark and Ben had left a while ago. Mark needed to get Sophia to bed and Ben had just caught a ride with him because they lived within a few blocks of each other. Knowing the inescapable headache that was sure to occur tomorrow, I was kind of regretting having not taken Mark up on his offer for a ride home.

She sighs again before promising, "I'll be there soon."

"Hey, April?" I call out, stopping her before she hangs up. When I check the screen to make sure she is still there, I tell her, "Thanks." Without a reply, she clicks off and I smile as I slip my phone in to my back pocket.

I make my way back over to the porch and let out a content sigh as I lay back down. I am unsure whether any of them are awake or not, but I feel that need to inform them anyway. "April's coming for us."

Hunt and Alex grunt in approval while Shepherd remains silent.

"Did you guys hear about that nerd in the ER this morning?" Alex questions.

Revealing a smug smirk, I can't help but ask, "Which one?"

"The one with the…uh, elf ears," he says, gesturing to his own ears. "He was all hot and bothered for freakin' _Kepner_."

I perk up at this and my eyes snap open. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Karev snorts. "I didn't get it either." That's not what I had meant but I remain silent as he continues on. "He only had a few broken toes when he came in from the stampede but I guess he felt the need to come back and see her. He ended up getting his ass handed to him by this belligerent douche in the ER."

"Oh. You mean the kid with the glasses?" Owen pipes up, seemingly joining the conversation.

Karev nods his head, confirming Hunt's question, before he lies back down on the deck and resting his hands behind his head. He can't help the scoff that surpasses his lips, "Kepner."

"So, what happened?" I ask, hoping that I don't sound too interested.

"With Kepner? I don't know, man. Probably nothin'," he assures with a shrug of his shoulders. I rest more easily at the sound of that and lay completely back down on the deck, partially dozing off until April arrives.

I am awoken by the sight of two headlights in the distance. Sitting up, I can't help but notice that the new source of light is projecting directly in the eyes so I hold up my hand to block the sudden glare. Soon after the engine shuts off and, with it, the lights fade out.

"Hey, guys," April calls out as she rests against the door of her car. All of us reply with muffled greetings as we work to peel ourselves off the uneven deck floor. When I successfully stand up and wobble my way towards April, I notice that, along with her favorite, pink tennis shoes, she is wearing a pair of cotton pajamas. My stomach turns in guilt as I realize that I must have woken her up out a sound sleep for her to come here dressed like that.

I offer her a small smile, hooking my thumbs through my belt loops as I approach the shiny SUV. I check over my shoulder, expecting to see the three other men cleaning up the beer bottles but, instead, find that the litter had already been cleared away. Someone must have done it while I had been half-asleep. The guys trail behind me and climb in to the car one after the other.

"Hi," I offer as April rounds the car to meet me on the passenger's side. "Thank you…for doing this. I…We really appreciate it."

"Of course," she tells me honestly, bumping my hip with hers.

"You didn't have to," I remind her.

She pushes herself off of the car before making her way back to the driver's side. Over the roof, she meets my eyes and smiles, saying, "I know," before climbing inside the warmth of the SUV. I follow her lead and I, too, slip inside the vehicle, snuggling comfortably in to the leather passenger's seat.

I hadn't even realized that I had been asleep until I feel the car jolt forward causing my eyes to snap open in surprise. I look around to find that we simply were stopped at a red light at a normally busy intersection. April's eyes flicker over to me and she bites her lip nervously before asking, "I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"No," I lie, groaning at the headache I can already feel working its way up the back of my skull. "I woke up on my own."

Relief floods across her features as she turns her attention towards the road again and presses down on the gas pedal at the sight of the now green light.

"I just dropped Hunt off," she reveals as the car continues to speed forward. Chuckling, she adds, "Cristina did not look pleased."

I try to smirk but it instantly turns into a wince and I lift my hands up to my face to massage my temples. Why does drinking never seem like a good idea in hindsight? As I glance in the back seat at a passed out Derek and Alex, I can't help but assume that if they were conscious, they would agree.

"So, uh…" April winces, biting her lip fiercely, as though the words she were about to say were going to physically pain her, before speaking again. "How did your…um…appointment go?"

My brow knits together in confusion as I try to make sense of her words. Noticing my bewildered expression, her face turns a darker shade of red as she goes on to explain, "With Dr. Mayfield?"

I drop my hands from my temples and all color drains from my face. I swallow harshly and shake my head. "That didn't…I mean, I don't…"

"It's alright, Jackson," she quickly covers up. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No!" I say, flinching at the loudness of my own voice. "That's not what I meant. I just meant…"

"You know what? It's really none of my business so we should just…"

"I don't have erectile dysfunction!"

The entire city of Seattle seems to go silent as I impatiently wait for a reply. April's eyes remain glued to the road but they have grown about ten times in size and her mouth is pressed together in a straight line. She opens her mouth to speak but only manages to utter one word. "Oh."

"Yeah," I practically whisper, closing my eyes in an uncharacteristic moment of shame. "I only said that because Webber told Karev to use the Mayfield excuse on Shepherd and it worked for him so..."

"Oh, did he?" Derek pipes up from the back seat causing both April and I to jump. Out of the corner of my eye I see the way she grips on to the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles are turning white as she tries to even out her breathing once again.

Karev, too, seems to have woken up and scowls at me. "Nice, man," he growls sarcastically between clenched teeth before rolling over and turning away from the conversation. I'm not sure if it's because Shepherd is drunk or just doesn't care but when he seems to have lost interest, he rolls his eyes and turns over on his side.

"I didn't even know who Mayfield was until this afternoon," I confess, making sure to keep my voice at a whisper as we pull on to the familiar side street.

April nods and meekly offers, "Okay."

I wish that I could just drop the topic but for whatever reason, something inside me won't allow me to just let it go. I just really want…no, _need_ April to understand that I am okay in that department. More than okay, actually. I just can't figure out why it matters to me so much that she knows.

Taking in my surroundings, I realize that there isn't much time for talking left anyway as we pull in to the driveway of the frat house.

"Thank God," Derek groans from the back seat as the car pulls to a stop and he hops out of the car before wobbling over to the nearest bush. Unfortunately, he leaves the car door open so we are able to hear Shepherd emptying the contents of his stomach out into the flowery shrub.

"I can't take listening to that, dude," Alex admits. "I'm out."

He stumbles out of the SUV and makes his way towards the door, sliding past Meredith and Lexie as he makes his way inside the house and they step outside. The older Grey sister walks towards her husband and rubs his back comfortingly as he continues to puke. The younger Grey, however, begins to make her way over to the passenger side of April's car.

"Hi, baby," Lexie sing songs, not looking too torn up about my current state of pain. "How you feeling?"

I can only manage a groan in reply which results in a grin and stifled laughter. Looking past me, Lexie speaks to April, "I can take it from here."

April nods in agreement and as she reaches to unclick her seatbelt I lightly grasp her wrist. She gasps at the contact and looks up to meet my eyes.

"Thank you," I breathe out sincerely.

"You're welcome," April smiles softly. Her eyes flick over to Lexie and her smile falters slightly. She politely extracts her hand away from mine before swiftly exiting the car and heading for the house. My eyes linger on her retreating figure and I only find the strength to pull my eyes away when I feel Lexie open my door.

My girlfriend smiles up at me as she slips her arm around my waist to help lead me to the house. "I know she's not my favorite person," Lexie starts, looking guilty as she keeps her eyes trained on the concrete beneath our feet, "But April can be a really good friend sometimes. I'm glad you have her."

I smile as I sling an arm over her shoulder and I press a kiss to her temple. "Me too."

_A/N: This took me foreverrrr to write! It's not even super eventful or anything but I just couldn't stop writing! So this is what you get! Don't expect them all to be this long, these are supposed to be drabbles after all ;) But I hope you guys enjoyed this extended chapter. I'm trying to find the perfect balance between building up their sexual tension but at the same time keeping it completely within canon and friendship-like, if that makes sense. I hope that I'm starting to find it. Thanks for reading and please review!_


	4. Love, Loss, and Legacy

It's an average Friday night in Seattle which means the usual chaos of the Emerald City Bar swirls around me as I elbow my way through the crowd to get back to my table. The only thing not so average about the evening is, well, the woman sitting at my table. Catherine Avery keeps her lips pursed as her eyes flick around the local watering hole for all the Seattle Grace Mercy West employees. Her eyes light up as they land on me and I can't help the boyish grin I reveal as I rejoin her at the round table. Despite the fact that my mother drives me crazy most of the time, I am happy to have her here.

"Here you go," I say, presenting her the dry martini she had ordered.

"Thank you, baby boy," she replies, offering up a warm smile as she lifts the glass to her lips before taking a long sip. When she pulls the drink away, her eyes continue to rove over her surroundings in silent judgment. Well, with my mother, nothing was ever quite _silent_.

I snicker as I watch my mother swallow back her comments of disgust. Catherine Avery was never one for subtlety.

As the older surgeon's eyes light up for the second time that night, I can't help but turn around in my chair to see just what my mother could possibly be smiling at like that. What I find is a tipsy looking April Kepner with her back pressed against the guy in the yellow shirt as he tries to guide her hands in a game of darts.

"That girl is something else," my mother chuckles affectionately.

"She sure is," I agree, keeping my attention on the flirty looking couple across the bar. My stomach turns slightly and my eyes narrow as I notice the man's hands beginning to travel south of April's waist. When I force myself to pull my gaze away and turn back towards my mother, she is watching me with a bemused smile.

"What?" I question, squinting in confusion at the knowing smile my mother now wears. Averting her gaze down in to her glass, she picks up her spear of olives and begins to mix her drink. "_What_?" I repeat more forcefully. Like I said, my mother was not one for silence.

"Is there something going on between you and Dr. Kepner?" she inquires suspiciously, arching an eyebrow at me as though she already knows that answer.

"April?" I ask, my brow wrinkling in puzzlement. I reach over and place the back of my hand playfully against my mother's forehead. "Are you feeling okay, mom?" I tease, grinning as she slaps my hand away and I sit back down.

"Oh, please," she bites back. More seriously, she says, "I saw the way you looked at her just then."

"There is nothing going on between April and I," I assure her. I pick my glass of scotch up off the table and stare at her earnestly as I ask, "Okay?"

My mother hums in agreement but I can tell she is unimpressed.

"Mom," I groan out, "Stop."

"I didn't say anything!" the urologist protests, holding her hands up in surrender.

I look at her pointedly before muttering against the rim of my glass, "You didn't have to."

"Look," I continue, squeezing my eyes shut tightly as the swig alcohol burns the back of my throat. I run a hand over my closely shaven head and clear my throat so my voice is low as I tell her, "April is my friend. I care about her. And as her _friend_, I am allowed to be protective of her, right?"

"Yes, honey," my mother quickly agrees, "But that doesn't mean that you get to stare down her dates until they turn into stone."

I roll my eyes and try to explain it to her again. "You don't get it," I insist, as my mother continues to absentmindedly twirl the spear in the clear liquid. She scoffs but remains silent, leaning in closer and resting her chin in her hand as I press onward. "April is very...well, she's innocent," I say. "And sweet," I add, allowing my eyes to slide back over to the couple across the room. April is currently turned around in the guy's arms and she is smiling as she talks animatedly with her hands. "And beaut…" I tear my eyes away from the red head and stop myself before I can continue, sensing the way my mother's excitement sky rockets. I swallow harshly before concluding, "I just want what's best for her. She deserves to find the right guy for her. A good guy."

"And you're sure that this _"right guy"_ isn't you?" she inquires pointing her index finger at me.

"No," I declare. "I am very happy with Lexie, Mom. So just…lay off it. Please."

Catherine presses her lips together in displeasure but nods. "Alright," she concedes, "If you're so happy with this Lexie girl, tell me about her."

"Mom," I groan out through clenched teeth. "I already told you, I'm tired."

"Do you want to know what I think?" my mother questions, biting an olive off of her plastic martini sword.

"Not really," I confess.

Catherine pretends not to have heard me and continues speaking. "If you really were as happy with this girl as you think you are," she says, "You would be talking about her the way you talk about that best friend of yours."

For the first time since her arrival, my mother has stunned me in to silence. I blink back at her rapidly and try to come up with some kind of response but…I can't think of one.

Luckily, out of the corner of my eye, I can see April untangling herself from the stranger and making her way back over to the table. I take this opportunity as my way out and quickly down the rest of my drink before turning my body towards the approaching trauma surgeon.

"Hey," I manage, offering a smug grin. "How's it going with…"

"Toby," April fills in.

"Toby," I echo, silently wishing I hadn't finished the rest of my scotch.

Breaking in to a warm grin, she admits, "It's going pretty well, actually." April chances a quick glance over at my mother before leaning forward and lowering her voice as she tentatively reveals, "I think he wants me to go home with him."

I look over at the guy momentarily before turning back to my best friend and asking, "Do you _want_ to go home with him?"

She bites her lip and shrugs. "I don't know!" she confesses in a whisper.

"You don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable with," I tell her, keeping my voice low and serious. "You know that, right?"

"Yes," she replies exasperatedly. "I'm not a child, Jackson."

"I know that. I was just…" My voice trails off as I glance at my mother who is trying to look disinterested from the conversation but I'm sure she is hanging on my every word. I grab April's elbow and pull her away from the table before telling her, "I just want you to be sure before you do anything. After all, you did just meet the guy."

April's eyes fill with doubt as she takes a peek at Toby who is still standing near the darts board. "Do you want me to stick around for a while until you decide?" I ask her, noticing the sudden hesitance in her stance. She nods eagerly and I squeeze her shoulder in encouragement before we part ways.

I can feel my mother's eyes on me the whole time as I navigate myself back to my seat. "What was that about?" she asks nosily.

"She's thinking about going home with that guy you set her up with," I tell her. "Toby," I scoff bitterly, tossing an olive in my mouth.

"Well, good for her," my mother admires, leaning back in her chair and looking pleased. "It's about time that girl got some."

I almost choke on the olive as it slips down my throat. Worry creases through my mother's features as I continue to cough. She reaches forward to pat my back but I wave off her advances until I am finally able to fully swallow the olive properly. Trying to catch my breath, I can't help but let out a strangled sounding, "What?!"

"It's pretty obvious, darling," she declares with a shrug. "Honestly, I am surprised I hadn't noticed it earlier. Or that you didn't at least tell me."

"It is none of your business!" I proclaim, "In fact, it's none of _my_ business."

Taking a sip from her almost empty martini, she rolls her eyes. "How do you ever expect April to find the right guy if she isn't…pushed a little in anyone else's direction?"

"What happened to no more meddling?"

"I never said anything about not meddling with your friends' lives…that is, unless April Kepner is something more than a friend?"

Now, it's my turn to roll my eyes. "No," I assert for what feels like the billionth time this evening. "We're just friends."

"In that case," Catherine grants, "I'm truly glad that you have each other. I don't think you understand how lucky you are to have that girl in your life," my mother shakes her head fondly and grins slyly as her eyes land on April, who is trying to politely decline the man's advances.

"Friendships like that," my mother continues. "Well, I don't think all the meddling in the world could break you two apart."

_A/N: Catherine Avery is probably my favorite guest star ever sooo I really hope I did her character justice! I know that this chapter doesn't have a whole lot of Jackson and April but I really wanted to continue that scene at the bar at the very end of the episode between Jackson and his mom. Thank you so much for the continued support. Your reviews make my day. I love knowing what you guys think about each chapter so please leave a review and thanks for reading!_


	5. Poker Face

"Nights in the ER?" Alex asks through gritted teeth. He takes his annoyance out on the dart resting between his forefinger and his thumb by throwing with great force and speed. "Is Kepner serious?" he asks as he walks forward to retrieve it.

"She sounded pretty serious," I observe, taking a swig from my mug of beer to hide my smile. In fact, April had sounded more serious and more confident than I had ever heard her before. It was kind of hot.

At the thought of the trauma surgeon, I do a once over of the bar until I spot April seated on the opposite side of the room. She has this twenty-something year old wearing a backwards baseball cap on her opposite side. I watch as he leans forward to whisper something in her ear and April's shoulders bounce up and down as she giggles in response.

"She can't take me off the OR board," Alex challenges, his voice pulling me back to the conversation at hand.

"Actually, she can and she will," Lexie adds. "Just face it, Karev. April won this round."

"Whatever," Alex mumbles dejectedly, scowling in the red head's direction.

"What are you doing?" I ask as he rounds table and begins to slip in to his jacket.

"It's, like, one o'clock, dude," he replies, pulling his phone out of his pocket and glancing at the time. "I'm going home. You guys coming?"

Lexie nods as she begins to collect her things and slings her purse over her shoulder. "You ready to go?" she asks, reaching out and touching my upper arm.

"April doesn't really look like she's ready to go yet." I inform her, gesturing over my shoulder at the bar.

Bitterly, Alex snaps, "Just leave her here then. Who cares?"

I turn to the peds surgeon and glare. Dude had been an ass all week. I'm not quite sure what was with him but somebody needed to put him in his place. "I do," I remind him, my jaw muscles tightening. Shifting away from Karev, I turn towards my girlfriend and rub both of my hands up and down her arms. "I'm gonna wait around for April if that's okay with you."

Lexie nods and smiles up at me, "See you at home?" I bob my head in agreement and give her a parting peck on the lips before her and Alex head for the door.

When Lexie and Alex vanish from sight, I risk a glance over my shoulder at April and the guy who I had deemed Toby 2. The two of them are still sitting at the bar but they are closer to each other this time. Immediately, my eyes zone in on the way Toby 2's hand rests comfortably on April's knee and I have to bite the insides of my cheeks as I turn away. Taking note of my empty glass, I spot Karev's abandoned beer on the table and reach over to take a long sip before mentally preparing myself to break up whatever is going on across the room. If this guy thought he was taking April home tonight, he had another thing coming.

As I make my way through Joe's, April seems to have noticed me out of the corner of her eye and her face lights up. When she shifts on her stool it causes Toby's hand to fall from her leg and I have to bite back a smile as I cross the remainder of the way.

"Jackman!" April greets excitedly, clasping her hands together before throwing her arms up in the air. Did she seriously just call me _Jackman_? Oh, she was totally blasted. I can't hide my smirk any longer as I fall in to the seat beside her. April turns to Toby 2 and explains, "Kyle, this is..."

"Jackson Avery," I fill in, reaching across April to shake the guy's hand.

Shaking my hand, he replies, "Kyle Masters."

April wobbles uneasily on the stool between us and I reach out to steady her. "April? You okay?" I ask squeezing her shoulder slightly, hoping to bring her back to reality. She blinks rapidly as her eyes flick over to me. "Do you need me to do something?"

A look of dread crosses over April's features before she goes stumbling towards the bathroom. Kyle and I rocket up from our seats and exchange looks of worry as we watch April disappear behind the door of the restroom. Realizing, with a sigh of defeat, that I can't really follow her to make sure she's alright, I take my seat again and turn back towards the bar.

"So," Kyle starts awkwardly, "What do you do?"

Was this guy really trying to make small talk right now? I guess there wasn't much else to do.

"I'm a surgeon." I tell him casually. I twiddle my thumbs, wishing I had something to do with my hands. Noticing the small bowl of peanuts to my left, I lean forward and scoop a few into my palm.

"Oh, like April?" he observes.

I nod as I pick apart the shell of a peanut. "We work together."

Kyle seems to absorb this information before asking, "So are guys…like…together?" He cradles his drink between his cupped hands and swishes the liquid back and forth as he waits for my response.

I open my mouth to reply but stop myself when I notice the already dejected look on his face. The whole point of me coming over here was to convince April to drop this guy and to come home instead. If I told Kyle that April and me are a couple, he would back down. I knew he would. I could see it in his crestfallen expression. Sure, it might be a lie but it would get the job done, right?

"Yeah," I tell him, hating how uncertain my voice sounds. Kyle's eyebrows crinkle in uncertainty but I quickly clear my throat and nod more confidently. "Yes. We are together."

Kyle nods disappointedly, "Sorry, dude. I didn't know."

I feel guilt crawling up the back of my throat but I force myself to swallow back the truth. Kyle stands from his seat and goes to pull his wallet from his back pocket but I put a hand up to stop him. "It's on me."

"Thanks," Kyle replies warmly. Clapping me on the back, he says, "Good luck with April. She seems like a good one."

"Thanks, man." I say, managing a crooked smile. "Have a good night."

"You, too," Kyle offers, lifting his arm up in a half wave before disappearing into the faceless crowd.

"Hey," I call out, trying to gain the attention of the bartender on duty. "Can I get the number to a cab company, please?"

A few minutes later, just as I finish hanging up the phone, I see April emerge from the bathroom and make her way back over to the bar.

"How you feeling?" I ask as she takes back her previously occupied stool. I am met with a muffled groan as April hides her face in the crook of her arm. Smirking sadly, I reach forward and rub her back soothingly. "That bad, huh?"

April groans again, louder this time, and I decide now is a good time to order April a glass a water. When the bartender places a fresh glass of water in front of April, I thank him before he moves on to the next costumer.

"Where did Kyle go?" April asks as she sits up, her voice laced with confusion.

I shrug, "Said he had to head home." Seeing the way April's face falls slightly, I quickly add, "But he said that he was really sorry and that he had a great time."

April nods and tries to hide her smile as she answers, "Oh, okay."

"Yeah," I mutter. "Are you ready to go home?"

April nods eagerly as she takes a long sip of water. "Did Alex and Lexie leave already?" she asks, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand once she has removed the glass from her lips. I nod, confirming her suspicions.

April scoffs, "Figures."

I turn around on my stool so that my elbows rest comfortably on the bar as I tell her, "Forget about Karev. He's a douche."

April's expression is unreadable as she nods mutely in response and keeps her eyes trained on the chipping wood of the bar. The sound of my buzzing phone breaks up the silence and I can only assume the unknown number is the cab calling to confirm that he is waiting outside.

"Come on," I announce, standing up and placing a few bills beneath the empty water glass. "Time to go home."

April groans as I easily pick her body up off the stool and sling her arm around my waist to lead her out of the bar. "Carry me," she mutters weakly, still looking shaky on her feet even with me to guide her.

Surprised by her request, I stop our progress and stare down at her. "You sure?" I ask.

She hums in confirmation. "Please," she murmurs desperately.

Shrugging, I easily lift April off the ground wedding style. "Hold on," I remind her as I feel her arms tighten around my neck.

The bell above the door rings out as I push both of us through the door and stalk up the stairs in search of our cab. When the yellow car pulls up closer towards the entrance, the cabbie hops out of the driver's seat and swiftly opens the door.

"Long night?" he asks.

I go to respond but the sound of April's groan answers the question for me. I smirk at the man and thank him as I slide April inside the car first. I quickly slip in beside her and the cabbie closes the door shut behind us before returning to his seat.

After telling the man the address to take us to, I sit back and let out a content sigh, reveling in the silence of the car ride. I press my forehead against the window, watching the city of Seattle pass me by in a blur of light and color until I feel April stir beside me.

"Jackson?" she asks sleepily.

I turn my head and look down to find her brown eyes staring up at me. Reaching out and tucking a piece of hair behind her hair, I shush her and quietly say, "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when we're home."

She doesn't argue after that. Instead, she snuggles closer and falls back to sleep within seconds. I watch as her chest rises and falls in a continuous rhythm and I can't help the smile that forms as I look down at her sleeping form.

"She your lady, son?" the cabbie asks, catching my eye in the rearview mirror.

I go to reply but pause when I remember a similar, knowing look that Kyle had worn earlier in the night. What could one more lie to a stranger do, right?

Glancing down at April once more, a smile meets my lips once again. "Yeah," I decide. "Yeah, she is."

_A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of your feedback for last chapter! You guys are amazing! I am so glad you all enjoyed it so much. Hopefully, you all enjoyed this update just as much. This one was a little tricky for me, mainly because Jackson was basically missing from the entire episode. Plus, I rewrote this a couple times which is why it took me so long to post. By the way, sorry for such long gaps between chapters these days. I know I said I'd try and do one every day but summer is winding down and it's getting harder for me to find time to write. But, don't worry, I am nowhere near giving up on this! Thanks again for all the support and I hope you guys leave another review this time around to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! :)_

_P.S. Shout out to Reveriemare! Thank you so much for your help! You're the best!_


	6. Put Me In, Coach

"What is with the freakin hold up? Let's play ball!" Lexie exclaims, shoving past me as she stalks out of the dugout. I blink rapidly as I watch her slumped over figure approach the pitcher's mound. What is her problem?

I glance over my shoulder at Jackson in an attempt to gage his reaction but his expression is closed off. I pout at him, hoping to catch his attention but his downcast gaze never wavers. Releasing my grip on the chain link fence, I make my way over to the wooden bench.

"What's with her?" I ask casually as I fall into place alongside my best friend. Jackson shrugs, keeping silent by biting the inside of his cheek. "Talk to me," I probe, nudging him with my shoulder.

Cautiously, he checks around for any prying ears. Most everyone is out on the field but a few surgeons still linger in the dugout. None of them seem too interested in our conversation, however, so he begins to speak lowly. "I think I'm in love with Lexie."

My brow creases in confusion. This didn't seem like new information to me. I thought he had known this for months now. But, then again, this was Jackson Avery we were talking about. It might not seem like it to someone who isn't really paying attention but he had always had a problem opening up to people. At least in the time that I had known him, he has. I think it has something to do with the lethal combination of a father who abandoned him and the added pressure that came with the Avery last name. I can almost understand why he had so many walls up. I probably would have my guard up, too.

Still, it didn't make sense as to why he would sound so upset over it.

"So what's the problem?" I ask suspiciously.

Sighing deeply through his nose and hanging his head, he admits, "I don't think she's in love with me."

Before I have time to respond, a loud sounding thud resounds from the field. Suddenly, Mark Sloan appears to be attending to the opposing player's breast while the remaining members of both teams storm the diamond. Jackson and I share a quick look before we both scramble toward the field ourselves.

Profanities and accusations fly around me as I run up beside Callie and Arizona. "What happened?" I ask breathlessly, trying to piece together the fragments of information I already know.

"Little Grey threw the ball at Mark's new girlfriend," Arizona says, looking pretty shocked herself even as she explains it.

Callie shakes her head and mutters empathetically, "Right in the boob."

I feel Jackson go still beside me at the mention of his girlfriend. When I glance at him out of the corner of my eye he keeps his gaze focused on the dirt beneath our feet, trying to appear not to be listening, despite the fact that we both know that he is. I play along, however, and turn back towards the recently married couple.

The three of us talk quietly a bit longer until we all hear Dr. Hunt call the team together for another huddle. As I approach the senior trauma surgeon I can't help but note the smile that graces his features. In the time I'd come to know Dr. Hunt, I had become accustom to his furrowed brow and nearly permanent frown. Due to the never ending grapevine of gossip that is Seattle Grace Mercy West, I knew that most of the time it had something to do with his tumultuous relationship with Cristina but today both of them looked happier than I had seen them in a long time. Happiness looks good on him…and on her.

Hunt reveals that because the Chief over at Seattle Presbyterian technically called the game, we actually won in a forfeit. After a round of cheers and high fives, a nameless voice in the crowd suggests we all go out to celebrate. Cristina eyes suddenly brighten as she holds up her metal flask above her head and shakes it around for everyone to see. Everyone glances at one another, mirroring back knowing grins as we all nod our heads in agreement.

Apparently, Cristina had already come prepared with boozes. She said that is was supposed to help cushion the blow of the inevitable loss but since we won it could be used as a make-shift celebration instead. As we all take to the bleachers wrapped up in sweatshirts and cradling our bottles of alcohol, nobody argues with her logic.

I don't know how long we sit there together. It's always nice when we can come together under good circumstances. It is in moments like these that remind me why I had decided to stay in Seattle after the shooting. In our own, messed up way we were all a family.

As I watch the sun dip behind the trees surrounding the park, I take long sips of alcohol, reveling in the burning sensation it leaves in my throat. Before long, the sky has completely drained of color and I am feeling lighter and more giggly than usual. Giggling had always been my tell-tale sign that I have had too much to drink. Despite this, I keep a firm hold on the neck of the bottle of scotch.

"Are you drunk?" Dr. Bailey asks, glaring slightly as she observes my behavior. I can only manage to bow my head and burst in to giggles in reply. Waving off my response she announces that she'll give me a ride home. Even in my foggy state of mind I know to follow the short, yet intimidating woman when she says it's time to go. In a rare moment of kindness, she offers out her hand to help me step (well, more like stumble) off the bleachers.

"Thank you," I say when my feet hit the ground, offering up a smile.

Dr. Bailey grunts in acknowledgement before spinning on the sole of her shoe and leading us out to the dimly lit parking lot. I quickly follow her lead, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my sweatshirt as I trail closely behind her.

Just as we cross the patch of grass separating the dusty baseball diamond and the concrete parking lot, I spot Jackson unloading his baseball equipment in to the back of his SUV. The sound of him slamming the trunk closed echoes across the soundless parking lot.

"Avery!"

Jackson jumps from where he's standing at the sound of the general surgeon's voice. When he looks up, his eyes meet mine first before shifting over to the woman standing beside. "What's up, Bailey?"

"You headin' home?"

He spins his key ring around his finger as he contemplates his answer before eventually nodding. "Yeah, I guess."

"Do you mind taking Kepner home? Your friend here decided tonight would be a good night to become intoxicated."

_Intoxicated_. I giggle at the use of the word, receiving an amused smirk from Jackson and an irritated eye roll from Bailey as she shushes me.

When my laughter dies down, Jackson's eyes momentarily flicker over to me before turning his attention back to the older surgeon, "Yeah, sure. No problem."

Nodding curtly, Dr. Bailey replies, "Alright. Thanks, Avery."

"Have a good night." Jackson offers as she turns to walk away.

"Goodnight, Dr. B!" I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth, not caring how loud it comes out. Jackson chuckles and shakes his head fondly at me as he looks off to the side.

Lifting her hand in a wave, she calls back over her shoulder, "You, too."

A few moments later Jackson steps in front of me, blocking my view of Dr. Bailey as I watch her retreating figure move further away from us and closer to her vehicle. "Ready?" he asks.

I hum in agreement before rounding the car and plopping myself in the passenger's seat as I had done so many times before. As I go to reach for the door, I realize Jackson has followed me. Wordlessly, he leans forward and buckles me in to the leather seat. "You good?" he asks as the seatbelt clicks into place. When I find the strength to nod, he pushes himself up and slams the door shut behind him. Once alone, I allow myself to release a shaky breath I hadn't even realized I had been holding in.

We had been on the road for about ten minutes now and Jackson hasn't said a thing. I had been watching him go between clenching his fist around the leather steering wheel and flexing his fingers for so long now that I can't help but break the silence. "Are you okay?" I finally ask.

Jackson's hands turn into fists once again. Releasing a deep breath, he flatly replies, "Super."

I bite my lip and watch Jackson's profile silently as he clenches and unclenches his jaw. Another tell-tale sign that I have had too much to drink is my inability to stop myself from saying things. It was a problem I faced when I was completely sober, too, so it was no wonder that refraining from honesty when drunk was my number one give away.

"What?" Jackson asks knowingly clearly having caught me staring out of the corner of his eye.

"Nothing," I lie quickly, shifting in my seat so that I am positioned towards the window.

"April," he probes, his voice carrying that note of…_something_. I could never quite put my finger on what it was but what I did know was that he only seemed to use it for me.

"You said I think." I confess, releasing my lower lip from between my teeth. Turning back to him, I continue, "Earlier when you said that you love Lexie. You hesitated. You said you _think_."

Jackson squints in confusion, glancing at me before returning his eye back to the road. "So?"

"So," I start, gulping in a deep breath before cautiously pressing forward, "When you love someone…Well, um…Love-e is a feeling, Jackson. Not a thought…So when you love someone, and I mean really, truly love someone…well, you don't…you don't have to think about it. You just _know_."

Aside from the whooshing of the air vent and the soft purring of the engine the car goes completely silent as my words visibly wash over Jackson. His presses his lips together in deep thought and I just barely catch the way his eyes soften as he considers this. Too soon, the newfound expression disappears. With a quick clearing of his throat and the shaking of his head, his eyes harden once again and his lips purse in annoyance.

When I realize that he is going to remain silent, I swallow thickly and turn back towards the window. I close my eyes and breathe out quietly through my nose, fighting every instinct within me that says to keep talking.

Maybe he'll need to talk about it later or tomorrow or next week. Or maybe he won't. But I'm not going to push him. Like I said, Jackson doesn't let people in easily. And for whatever reason, he had let me in. And I didn't want to mess that up, now or ever.

Neither one of us says anything the rest of the drive home.

_A/N: I know this took forever and a day to post but this one was harder than the others for some reason. Also, I didn't end up re-watching this episode until after I'd already written most of this so the beginning doesn't exactly make sense with what actually happened but I'm just going to pretend it does :p. Anyway, your reaction to the last chapter was INCREDIBLE! Really, I was so flattered! Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter as well :) Hopefully, the next chapter will be posted a lot sooner than this one was. Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a review!_

_Oh! And shout out to zaluski13 for sending me the most adorable message during this mini hiatus! It was so cute and it just about made my day! Thank you so much for your continued support!_


	7. Heart-Shaped Box

Today had been one of those strangely easy days at Seattle Grace Mercy West. I had spent no time in the OR and even the emergency room had been surprisingly quiet. Most of the time I would have found this annoying but, considering the fact that I am still nursing a hangover from the baseball game last night, I couldn't really complain.

When I got home tonight to find that I have the house to myself I can't help but smile because, well, I can't really complain about that either. I can only assume the rest of my house mates had a longer day than mine and were, therefore, either still working or were drowning their worries away at Joe's.

I drop my bag by the door and kick off my shoes before flying up the staircase, climbing up the stairs on all fours the way a child might. When I make it to the comfort of my own room, I quickly change out of my blouse and jeans and into a pair of flannel pajamas. They were the kind that had been worn and washed so many times that they contained a certain softness that just could not be replicated. Those were the best kinds.

Just as I am finishing tying my curly hair up in to a ponytail I hear the faint sound of the front door closing downstairs. I groan inwardly as I begin to make my way out of my room and down the hall. Truthfully, it would've been nice to have the house to myself for once but I can't say I'm surprised this luxury was short-lived. I guess you just get used to never being alone when you live in a house with five other people.

I can hear the soft murmur of the TV as my feet pad their way down the steps. Nearing the landing, I tightly grip the banister and crane my neck in an attempt to catch a glimpse of who has taken over the living room. When I spot Jackson stretching his legs out across the suede coach as he channel surfs, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

I jump down the remaining two steps, landing with a thud which causes Jackson to pull his attention away from whatever he is watching on TV. It is only then that I notice how tired, sad, and…well, broken he looks. The bright smile I am wearing disappears at the sight of his sullen appearance. I cross the remainder of the foyer but linger in the doorway of the living room as I stare back at him with a concerned expression.

He swallows down the lump in his throat before managing to offer up a half smile. "Hey," he greets softly.

"Hey," I repeat as I make my way across the living room as Jackson swings his legs over the side of the coach to give me room to join him. I graciously take the empty seat beside him and quickly curl my legs underneath me. "What's up?" I ask, just hoping to fill the silence.

Jackson gestures to the TV before stating the obvious, "Just watchin' TV."

"Oh, really?" I ask biting back a smile before playfully lunging for the hand that holds the remote. I must have taken him by surprise because there is barely any fight from his end at all. Either that or he just doesn't care enough to wrestle me for it.

Soon enough, I am waving the remote above my head victoriously and Jackson cracks the first real smile I've seen him wear in what feels like days. Earning a genuine smile from my best friend feels ten times better than winning any stupid wrestling match over a remote ever will.

Falling back in to the coach contently, I snuggle deeply into the cushions before changing the channel over to some Lifetime movie. I'm pretty sure I've already seen it and am about to change the channel when I suddenly hear Jackson pipe up, "I like this one."

He glances over at me worriedly and I try to hide my grin as we make eye contact. I don't do too good a job of disguising my glee over this new found discovery but the small smile on his face shows he doesn't mind my reaction all that much. Once I gain my composure I simply nod in agreement and assure him, "Me too," before placing the remote on the table for easy access for the both of us.

We fall into a comfortable silence with one another as we watch the life of a young mother suffering through poverty unfold on the screen before us. When the movie finally goes to commercial break, the sound of Jackson's voice is what pulls me out of my trance. "What?" I question, shaking my head as I shift my focus away from the television and over to the man sitting beside me.

"I said," he starts, his voice steady and even, "I broke up with Lexie."

My eyes bug out of my head as my mouth falls open. They had broken up? And, even more shockingly, _he_ had broken up with _her_? Wasn't it just yesterday that Jackson was telling me he thought he was in love with her? At the thought of another one of our conversations from yesterday I take a sharp intake of breath.

"Was it because of me?" I ask unexpectedly.

This time Jackson's eyes bug out of his head. "What?" he asks, his brow creasing in confusion. "Why would…"

Quickly, I interject, "Because of what I said yesterday in the car….about love."

Realization settles in Jackson's eyes before he shakes his head. "No. No it had nothing to do with that," he confirms. "Or you."

"Good." I say, letting out a sharp sigh of relief. "So…what happened? I thought…"

This time it's Jackson who interrupts. He raises his hand and my voice dies in throat. "I don't…I don't really want to talk about it tonight." he replies gently, placing his hand on my knee to calm me down. "Okay?"

"Okay," I promise, reaching forward and interlace my fingers over his. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze and tight lipped smile before we pull away from one another.

The movie comes back on but neither one of us notices because Jackson continues talking, "I picked my specialty today."

"You officially chose plastics?" I fill in brightly. It doesn't really come as a huge surprise. From everything he had told me, he had been Mark Sloan's "boy" now for weeks. Maybe that even had played a large role in why Jackson and Lexie had broken up. I don't mention this though. Instead, all I say is, "That's great, Jackson."

He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his hands together. He averts his gaze to the floor and bites his bottom lip before breaking into a smile as he nods. He meets my gaze once again and whispers back giddily, "Yeah. It really is."

Suddenly, I get an idea. Before Jackson can say anything else, I launch myself off the coach and race out of the room. My sock clad feet slide across the hardwood floors and I giggle as I just catch myself from falling by grabbing a hold of the handle of the refrigerator.

"What are you doing?" I hear Jackson call out from the other room.

"You'll see!" I bellow back as I shove the milk carton out of the way in search of one particular item. When my eyes finally land on what I am look for I grin happily. I kick the door shut with my foot and head back to the living room carrying two dripping bottles of beer.

"De ja vu?" I inquire coyly as I stand before him, holding out the bottle for him to take.

He smirks up at me as he takes the alcohol from my grasp. Studying the glass bottle in his hands, he chuckles humorlessly and asks, "What's this for? The broken heart or the milestone?"

I ponder his question momentarily before shrugging my shoulders, "Both."

After another moment of silence, Jackson holds up his bottle expectantly, "Cheers?"

I smile warmly back in return and nod. Clinking our glasses together, I echo back proudly, "Cheers."

_A/N: So I've had this chapter planned forever because I came up with the idea way back when I wrote the counterpart to this in You Don't Have To Be Alone. For those of you who read that story, I hope this was a nice little throwback to the season 7 moments. And even if you didn't read the original, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! :) Like I said, I think my writing mojo is coming back which is why you guys received such a speedy update this time. Also, I'm going on one last vacation for the next four days and I'm not sure if I'm going to have time to write or if I'm going to have tons of time to write. What I do know is that I won't have internet access so, at the earliest, the next update will be Sunday. Anyway, thanks for the feedback of the last chapter…I can't wait to hear what you have to say about this latest installment. Thanks for reading and please review! :)_


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